Container for high pressure fluids



March 18, 1958 T. F. KEARNS CONTAINER FOR HIGH PRESSURE FLUIDS Filed Ju ly 7. 1954 Fla. 2

FIGYI FIG. 4

INVENTOR THOMAS E KEARWS ZWMW ATTORNEYS I,

iJnite States Fatent CONTAINER FOR HIGH PRESSURE FLUIDS Thomas F. Kearns, Arlington, Va.

Application July 7, 1954, Serial No. 441,957

3 Claims. v(Cl. 220*3) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to containers for high pressure fluids.

In many fields a container of high pressure fluids is an important necessity, as, for example, oxygen bottles for aircraft. Heretofore, these containers, both large and smail, have usually been formed of wrought steel or aluminum alloy and require, in the larger units, heavy sections and welded joints which introduce inherent strength limitations. Moreover, the heavy homogeneous walls which form the major strength elements in these containers, when highly stressed, are subject to crack propagation and fragmentation as a result of gunfire 0r explosion.

Broadly stated, the invention consists in forming a container of a relatively weak sealing liner contained in a mesh of wire of relatively greater strength.

An important object of the invention is to provide a container for high pressure fluids which contains relatively light materials but is strongly resistant to internal pressures. Another object is to provide a container which eliminates use of heavy castings or forgings and welds with their limitations on strength.

Still another object is to provide a high pressure container which is free of crack formation and fragmentation on rupture. Additional objects relate to reduction of critical materials, increased flexibility, reduced complexity in methods of manufacture in relation to high pressure containers, elimination of wear factors in reinforcing mesh wires resulting in breakdown, and use of wire winding procedure insuring uniform stresses on the wire mesh at all radial angles and layer distances from the center of the container.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent on consideration of the following description of a preferred form of the invention and of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a typical container of spherical shape;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the container taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the mesh formation; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a section of flexed sealing shell susceptible to elastic tal e-up when stressed by the expansive contents of the container.

In Fig. 1, a typical container unit it) is illustrated, the structure of the unit being shown more clearly in Fig. 2 to include the inner sealing liner i1 and the mesh shell 12 enclosing the liner.

The sealing liner is formed preferably in two sections 17 and i8 fitted and Welded or otherwise attached together to form a closed spherical cavity with the adjoining edges engaging in overlying relationship. The inner wall .is of flexible, yieldable material such as bIaSa'copper or aluminum alloys. ,At the pole points of-each half section, fittings 20 and 21 ,are inserted in apertures formed at these points, fitting 2i serVing f r example, as an inlet to the interior chamber ,25 and fitting 2 1 as an outlet. Permanent connection between liner and fitting is made by brazing orwelding. As shown, each fitting includes an arced root member 27 attachable to .the liner, a short .tube 28 having attachment means such as the screw thread 29 at the outer-end thereof for connection to inlet or outlet pipe lines, :and ,a clamp element 30 attached to the tube and having an extended flange o overlying h m sh l ye an tres tingzsi eimpact o the tube end.

The wire mesh 15 is constructed of anietal wire 16 h ng a r e y h t ns st en th, uch a pi n or mus i In f rm g th mesh the shell is fi st lle w t s lid mat rial i pa ic dorm. a, sand. in order to give solid support to the yieldable shell wall during the wire winding step, particularly during the winding of the first layer. This material is removed after the mesh is completed. This procedure is necessary since, because of the yieldable nature of the shell, it will lose its original shape when force is applied to one section of the surface without providing support, at the same time, to the other shell sections. The wire is carried around the great circumference of the liner, with the angular relationship of liner surface and wire progressively varying after each loop by approximately equal increments so that consecutive wire layers are formed with a strand section at any point being angularly disposed relative to adjacent strand sections, as indicated in Fig. 3.

When the mesh winding is completed the wire ends are secured in any suitable manner and the mesh impregnated with a filler, such as the phenolic or other resins, e. g., acrylic resin. The purpose of this plastic embedment is not only to insure immobilization of the wire strand structure but also aid in the prevention of corrosion and injury from impact. On the completion of the wire impregnation the clamp elements 35 are forced closely on the mesh.

Where due to large size of the shell or high pressures in use the shell is susceptible to marked deformation, or merely to permit use of thinner gauge metal, it may be advantageous to form the liner with furrows or depressions as indicated by 40, in Fig. 4, the wire 16 lying tangent to the shell ridges. On application of internal pressure the flexible liner tends to flatten as the mesh layer yields. Thus, the likelihood of liner fracture is diminished and lighter shell metal may be used.

In the winding operation it is usually desirable to increase the wire tension in successive layers so that in use all the wire layers are under the same radial stress. This arises from the fact that the inner shells of a spherical layer of substantial thickness are subject to higher pressures, and hence, with progressively increased layer tensions, moving radially outwardly, the possibility of shell fracture is reduced.

Metal wires for the mesh are indicated as desirable for the reason that with wires of reduced strength either the wire must be so large as to be bulky, or a coating of substantial thickness must be provided, as in glass fiber, to compensate for the weakness of brittleness of the filament. Where a coating is used there is a marked tendency to wear the coating between contacting filaments which is particularly likely at the inner mesh layers. Eventually, these inner layers lose the support of the layer material and break progressively outwardly until the sealing shell is disrupted.

While in the preferred form of the disclosure the easor other shapes are feasible depending on the requirements of use. t V

Obviously, modifications other than these described may be made and hence it is understood that the invei tion may be practicediotherwise than as specifically mentioned, within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed isf 1; A high pressure fluid container comprising a yield able fluid tight liner anda mesh of Wire wound in overlying layers around said liner over the entire surface thereof, said liner being curved throughout its wall area and said wire having tension in each layer, the tension increasing in each layer, moving radially outwardly-frorn said liner.

2. A high pressure fluid container comprising a yieldable fluid tight sheet liner and a mesh of metal wire Wound in overlying layers around said liner over the entire surface thereof, said liner being curved throughout its wall area and said wire having tension in each layer, the tension increasing in successive layers moving radially outward from said liner.

3. A high pressure fluid container as defined in claim 2, and a protective coating on said wire for holding said mesh in position and for resisting abrasion and corrosion of said wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 440,489 Mannesmann Nov. 11, 1890 1,966,241 Furrer July 10, 1934 2,117,500 Rarnbush May, 17, 1938 7 2,217,090 Zerbe Oct. 8, 1940 2,331,504 Raymond Oct. 12, 1943 2,370,677 Mapes Mar. 6, 1945 2,480,369 Jasper Aug. 30, 1949 2,507,778 Frey May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 684,949 Germany Dec. 8, 1939 586,183 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,827,195 March 18, 1958 Thomas F a Kearns It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l, line 66, for "liner 11" read liner l4 line 67, for "12 enclosing" read ll enclosing line '71, for "inner" reed liner Signed and sealed this 12th day of April 1960.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT (J. WATSON Attesting Ofiicer Commissioner of Patents 

